Selectmen support proposal to permanently protect 114 acres

At their Oct. 12 meeting, selectmen agreed to support the conservation commission’s acceptance of a grant of a conservation restriction on approximately 114 acres on Rhodes and Greene roads, owned by David and Barbara Krashes.

Conservation commission members had voted to accept the conservation restriction and become the holder of the CR if the 114 acres is accepted as part of a Forest Legacy Project grant application. That application was submitted by North County Land Trust in partnership with North Quabbin Regional Landscape Partnership and the Nashua River Watershed Association. The commission would hold and monitor the conservation restrictions for the protection of water supplies, for the preservation of a unique habitat and for the conservation of the land (see related story, p. 17).

Conservation commission members wanted to be sure selectmen supported the CR and that there would be no tax implications for the town.

Janet Morrison, executive director of the North County Land Trust, said she has worked with land owners on these kind of projects and her organization would put together the project.

“They [NCLT] would like the Conservation commission to sign off as holders of the CR for the Town of Princeton,” said Morrison.

The North County Land Trust is a 5013C organization and has been in existence since 1992.

The organization holds CR’s in several towns such as Fitchburg, Ashburnham, Ashby, Gardner and Hubbardston. The NCLT has also been involved with two previous Forest Legacy Programs, one in the southern Manadnock Plateau.

“We protected 2,000 acres in Ashby, Ashburnham, Winchendon and Westminster,” said Morrison. “The third phase of the program would protect another 2,000 acres. We’ve successfully completed 1,500 acres that we are funded for and we’ve worked extensively with Westminster.”

The group has applied for funding for 2,317 acres which includes the Krashes’ property, plus 19 other parcels with 14 different owners.

According to Morrison, the funding and approval process is approximately two years because it’s a federal program and reviewed on the state and national level.

“Under the Forest Legacy Program, 75 percent of the fair market value of a property would be paid and we’ve asked landowners to accept the 75 percent so we can pay for all the land.

“The Krashes property is a key piece of property because it connects reservation land with Mass Audubon property, and Fitchburg Water supply land, including the Bickford Reservoir,” said Morrison. “The Krashes’ land is extremely developable property that has over a mile of frontage.

“They would be selling the conservation restriction on their property. It keeps it in private hands but sells the development rights,” she said.

“This is another generous donation of sorts to the open space program in Princeton,” said Selectboard Chairman Joe O’Brien.

“I talked with the assessors and there would be no change in the tax status,” said Town Administrator John Lebeaux. Because the land is currently under Chapter 61 status, the tax rate is reduced. “The Chapter 61 status can stay in place along with the conservation restriction.”

“They are the owners and manage the property as they were under Chapter 61,” said Morrison. “There is a public access requirement. It could be a trail connecting other open space.”

The landowner could allow hunting and fishing on the property, as well as passive recreational uses like hiking and horseback riding. No motor vehicles would be allowed on the property though.

“I have some concerns about liabilities and access,” said O’Brien. “This is the first time we’ve had someone from outside the town prepare a plan.”

However O’Brien would like to see this move forward.

“From everyone’s perspective, right now the land could be taken out of Chapter 61 and developed,” said O’Brien. “This would protect it in perpetuity so I don’t know how we could complain about that. I’d encourage the conservation commission to work with the North County Land Trust to get this done well.”